This invention relates to an exercise device in general and more particularly to an exercise bicycle including apparatus in conjunction with the bicycle for controlling a video game.
As one can ascertain, video games have become extremely popular and are played by many people, particularly those in their teenage years.
Based on the above considerations, many people have serious complaints about the effect of video games on the general health of the children regarding the lack of physical exercise that one accomplishes in spending many hours in playing such games. It is basically an object of the present invention to devise an exercise bicycle which has apparatus incorporated therein to enable one to fully control and play any type of video game while performing worthwhile exercise.
The concept of exercising while watching television or engaging in some other activity is discerned in the patent art and various devices exist which include combinations of exercise with some visual or peripheral activity.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,666 entitled CALORIE METERING EXERCISER by B. Barron, issued on Oct. 5, 1976. This patent shows a bicycle which is combined with an electronic circuit which converts the output energy from the bicycle into calories. In this manner, the user of the bicycle can determine how much energy he expended during exercising. This patent, of course, is not pertinent to exercise and pleasure activities but is generally related to the field of invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,239 entitled ERGOMETER WITH AUTOMATIC LOAD CONTROL SYSTEM issued on Nov. 29, 1977 to W. Pfleiderer, et al. This patent also shows a device for measuring energy in regard to the amount of work expended by a user in operating an exercise bicycle. Other patents as U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,630 entitled BICYCLE by C. H. Emmons, issued on Feb. 27, 1979 show a bicycle which operates a motion picture projector. The purpose of the apparatus is to allow the user to view a scene as he is exercising where the passing of the scene will vary according to the speed of the bicycle which is analogous to riding outdoors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,893 entitled TV ENERGIZED BY EXERCISE BICYCLE issued to J. H. Holmes on Nov. 3, 1981, also shows an exercise bicycle which operates a generator which charges a battery to supply power to a television. Hence in order to watch television, one must operate the generator by means of the bicycle, and if one does not do so, one will not be able to view the television.
There are many other patents which relate to a combination of exercise with some peripheral equipment which is operated directly by the exercise equipment to generate some type of display.
In any event, the present apparatus concerns an exercise bicycle which includes unique controls incorporated on the bicycle to enable a user to control a video game according to his dexterity and based on operating the bicycle according to the characteristics of the game he is participating in.